


Promises

by orphan_account



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Minor Spoilers for Season 2, Pre-Relationship, Ugh, much talking, some hurt/comfort ig, they should be sleeping, this is half a year old and it's Bad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-05
Updated: 2017-11-05
Packaged: 2019-01-29 19:35:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12637761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Eren and Armin share a moment.





	Promises

**Author's Note:**

> appearently, I'm not capable of writing anything other than late night talk fluff...

Eren was woken up in the middle of deepest night by the rumbling sound of the carriage he was lying in. For some more seconds he stayed in this position, trying to remember where he was, before it came to his mind again. Squad Leader Hanji had suggested that they should get a bit sleep before they arrived. Thankfully, the three teens hat accepted the offer and had promptly fallen asleep, shortly followed after by Hanji and Levi, who wanted to stay awake first, but apparently had been overwhelmed by the lack of sleep as well. Eren thought that he looked softer and way more relaxed than usually as he was sitting on the opposite site of the carriage, his head resting softly on Hanji’s shoulder. More peaceful for sure.

He shifted his body slowly, to make no sound was created as he sat up and looked around, and at the two other persons in the carriage.

Mikasa had curled herself up in a cat-like way on the ground to his right. Her head rested on the floor, some dark strands of hair hanging in her face. An emerald green cloak was folded like a blanket over her, making sure she wouldn’t freeze. Her breath, despite the constant rumbling of the carriage, regularly and Eren didn’t think that anything would wake her anytime in the next few hours. Not that he would have wanted something to; his sister worked way too hard today, he thought. It was only right if she got some sleep.

To his left, on Eren’s other side, Armin had leaned his head onto the low sidebar, having fallen asleep in a half-sitting, half-lying position. His honey blond hair was ruffled and spiked up messily from his head.  
Eren thought he was asleep as well, until Armin opened his eyes, just a gap, but enough for Eren to see the bright blue orbs behind his lids.

When he saw Eren, he sat up a bit straighter, turning his head to his best friend and shook it lightly.

“You should be asleep”, Armin mumbled quietly, in a low voice, to not wake the others.

“You should be as well”, Eren answered, keeping his voice just as low as Armin did.

“I can’t sleep.”

“Well, I can’t either.”

Silence grew between them for a few seconds, until Eren slightly raised his head and looked at the landscape surrounding them. Their carriage was almost at the end of their little group, which was risky, as there were proven to be titans within Wall Rose. But looking at the fact that Levi, who would fight even with an injured ankle, if necessary, as well as Hanji who was a veteran with more titan knowledge than almost everyone else in the scouts, nobody of them worried that much about a possible titan attack.

“Are you scared?” Eren asked out of the blue, causing Armin to flinch a bit at the sudden voice and how loud it sounded. His eyes wandered around, avoiding Eren’s gaze as much as possible.

“Because I am”, Eren continued. His voice sounded quiet and vulnerable, so much nothing like he usually acted. Armin knew Eren well enough to see the true him through the cracks that would open sometimes in his façade, but it was rare for his friend to be so honest about his feelings.

Armin could count the times Eren talked that freely about his inner emotions on one hand.

He tilted his head and looked at Eren with soft concern in his eyes, but didn’t dare to say anything. Instead, he reached out and placed his hand lightly on Eren’s with the thick, rough fabric of a coat between them.

He hoped that his silence would tell Eren to continue with what he wanted to say, that Armin would listen to him, that he was there for him.

And eventually, Eren continued. He didn’t pull his hand away, either, which was a good sign to Armin. When Eren allowed physical contact, he at least wasn’t in an angry mood.

Armin could feel Eren’s hand curl up to a fist under the cloak.

“It is... I think I am scared. Truly scared. Everyone has those huge expectations of me. Closing that hole in Wall Rose, and after that is done, that in Wall Maria as well, using powers I might not even have. Killing all titans. Saving humanity. They call me “Humanity’s Last Hope” and put all of that weight on my shoulders.

“I know, that” - he lets out a small laugh which is actually more of breathed out air - “I know that I probably am Humanity’s Last Hope, given the current stand of things. And that I can’t disappoint those who have faith in me. But sometimes it is... difficult to cope with. So yeah, I guess I'm scared. Scared to lose, scared to betray those whose lives I carry with me. Scared to lose my friends and it doesn’t matter if it is to titans or if they simply turn their back on me. It will be the same result either way.”  
And then, he falls silent for a long time, gaze fixing the floor and with clenched fists Armin pretends not to see shaking.

Armin didn’t dare to speak a word. Instead, he slipped his hand under the coat, until he could touch Eren’s hand directly.

Armin grew truly concerned about his friend when Eren didn’t pull away, but instead entwined their fingers and strengthened. It felt so much like a drowning man holding on to a rope, and Armin was caught breathless for a moment by this single gesture.  
To be completely honest, Armin wasn’t sure what to do. He had barely ever seen Eren this vulnerable before - once, maybe twice in their childhood. But they had been kids back then, Armin thought sadly.

And even back then, he hadn’t been good at helping his friend; Armin had always been the one to be comforted by Eren or Mikasa, when he had been beaten by bullies again or was crying for his long-ago disappeared parents.

So maybe, Armin thought, it was time for him to finally help Eren.

He strengthened the grip on their entwined fingers and leaned forwards, until their foreheads touched. Eren’s skin felt, even with the chilly night air around them, warm. Armin thought that it maybe came from his titan-shifting genes.  
“I’m scared as well, Eren”, he whispered to the boy. Their faces had merely an inch space between them.

“But we can’t let our fear let us consume. Because if we do that, we will fail for sure.”

Eren exhaled shakily and leaned his head against Armin’s. Didn’t say a single word, just listened. Armin could feel his warm breath on his cheeks. He couldn’t help but realize how close they were and took a deep breath before he continued.  
“If we want to survive in this world - tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, and the day after that - we can’t let our fear take control over what we do and how we act. We have to recognise our fear, of course, but can’t let it take over us. It is the only way to survive here. How did Mikasa once called it? A cruel, beautiful world. She might be right about it.”

Armin smiled; just a bit, just enough that Eren could see it. “I promise you, we, as in your friends, will never abandon you. We will stay by your side, whatever might be thrown at us by the universe. I can promise you that. Do you hear me? Never. Fear about others leaving you; because we never will. And, to be honest with you, I really don’t want to lose you. So do me a favour, just this once: Survive.”

It was silent after that. A few heartbeats passed, which Armin thought were way too loud, even if there was no possibility that Eren could hear them over the constant rumbling of the carriage they still were in.

Then, Eren spoke up again. “I guess I have no choice but to try, have I, Armin?”, he says with a scratchy voice, and smiles half-hearted at him. Just a bit, just enough that Armin could see it. “And I will try - no - I will give my best. To help humanity and to survive.”

He pulled away then and lied down again; his head next to Armin’s lap, their hands still entwined. Eren closed his eyes.

“Thank you, Armin.” He mumbled quietly, almost too quietly for Armin to hear. But he heard it anyway, and now it was his turn to smile down at the boy lying next to him.

“You don’t have to thank me”, Armin whispered. But Eren had already fallen asleep. His chest rose and fell in regular breaths and the grip around Armin’s fingers loosened, but didn’t disappear completely, as Eren was still holding on to Armin even fully asleep.  
Sleepily, Armin watched as the first rays of light slowly rose across the trees, announcing the soon sunrise and lit the world in melted gold. He hummed softly to himself and with his free hand stroke gently over Eren’s messy dark hair, before his eyelids fell closed and sleep overcame him as well.

“Goodnight Eren”, he whispered to the sleeping boy. “Sleep well.”


End file.
